The Seventeeth
by Seriious Pumpkiin
Summary: Everything was ready. Seventeen pods for the sixteen members of Ultimate Despair to enter the Neo World Program. Right. [Fem!Naegi]


**As requested by** **Shiranai Atsune, I present whatever this is! I hope you enjoy and that it meets your expectations.**

* * *

"Naegi, what on earth do you think you're doing?"

Naegi froze, staring up at Togami with what she hoped was an innocent expression. "What do you mean?"

He narrowed his eyes, uncrossing his arms as he walked closer. "Did you really think you could trick us? There are seventeen pods set up to be used in there. Even if you had gotten away with it we would've woken you up before you could do anything."

Seventeen pods for sixteen students, ready for their avatars to be uploaded into the Neo World Program. Naegi hadn't thought she'd be able to fool the other two but she'd at least hoped it would take a little longer than this. Even if it was impractical she couldn't deny the small side of her that longed to join them in there, join them as the class that attended Hope's Peak Academy together, not the class that had fallen to despair under the influence of Enoshima.

"I just wanted to supervise them," she said, deflating slightly.

"That's why we have those AI. Do you think they're not capable of looking after a few kids?" Togami asked.

"You should show more respect to our upperclassmen," Naegi commented.

Togami sighed, pushing up his glasses with an exasperated stare. "Do I need to remind you who they are?"

"So what if they're Ultimate Despair? At heart every one of them is just like us," Naegi said.

"You say that so easily when including a member of the yakuza." Togami shook his head. "Whatever your opinion on their moral status, that doesn't excuse you trying to sneak into the Neo World Program."

"I knew you and Kirigiri wouldn't approve," she said, "which is why I had to try without telling you. It can't hurt to have an alive observer anyway and you'd be able to wake me up easily if you needed to."

"I wouldn't recommend being so quick to judge," Kirigiri said, leaning against the closest doorway from where she had appeared. Naegi almost jumped at her sudden interruption, instead managing to look over with a calm expression.

"How long have you been there?" Togami asked.

"Long enough to hear what Naegi just said. I am aware that you mean good in whatever your intentions but I would just like to know what those reasons are before you do anything rash," Kirigiri said.

She walked over, stopping just further back than Togami had. Both of them looked so professional, like true Future Foundation members that weren't going behind everyone's backs to protect the group that had helped in ending the world. And then there was Naegi, the most remarkable thing about her being the almost gravity defying physics of her hair.

"I wanted to look over them," she said.

Kirigiri looked doubtful. "You can look over with them outside of the program without endangering yourself like that."

"It won't be dangerous," Naegi insisted.

"And is your history with Komaeda influencing your decision?" Kirigiri asked. Naegi, completely unprepared for that question, couldn't stop her expression from cracking.

Togami furrowed his eyebrows slightly. "Her history?"

Naegi didn't meet their eyes, exhaling softly. "I didn't think you'd remember that so quickly. I only just remembered a few days ago."

It had taken a while, under heavy Future Foundation supervision, but the former Ultimate Neurologist had been able to help them regain some memories. So far everyone's memories had focused mostly on themselves, appearing in their minds as if they were just dreams, but it made sense someone as incredible as Kirigiri remembered more than her own significant details.

"Naegi and Komaeda were in a relationship before the Tragedy," Kirigiri said simply.

She felt her skin heat up and stubbornly tried to ignore it. "As far as I know... we stayed together up until when Enoshima got to him."

"So you're trying to sneak into the program to see your boyfriend?" Togami asked dryly.

Naegi cringed at the sneer in his voice. Kirigiri shook her head. "If this is what Naegi wants then I'm not against it..."

"But you don't approve," Naegi supplied hesitantly.

"You're attempting something incredibly risky for someone who won't even remember you exist. In my opinion your actions right now are very reckless, not to mention selfish, especially considering we will have to reword the coding _yet again_ in order to allow your avatar to enter the program as you are currently. That in itself raises the risk of resetting a member of the Ultimate Despair's avatar, a mistake we can not afford to make." Kirigiri gave him a hard stare, one that Naegi couldn't look away from however uncomfortable it made her.

At her silence Togami spoke. "I believe this conversation is done now? Suggesting something so idiotic is out of the question."

Kirigiri paid him no mind, even as Naegi began to nod slowly. "What do you think, Naegi? Is this something you want to risk for the hope of seeing Komaeda again before the program is over?"

"It is," she said without hesitation, something that surprised even her. "My reasons might be selfish but I believe that I can help all of the students effectively inside the program. After coming out of the program they'll have none of their old memories but their new bodies are below pleasant. They'll have no one to rely on except three strangers whose time for them outside of the program is limited because of the disapproval that will come from our supervisors after they inevitably find out what we've done. I believe I can do that."

Kirigir smiled, a small upwards twitch of her lips that someone who didn't know her would dismiss entirely. Even Togami didn't appear as disapproving, although Naegi could tell he definitely wasn't okay with the situation.

"Then I choose to believe in whatever it is you wish to do."

* * *

Naegi felt sluggish, sitting up with slow movements. Everything around her was black, almost so much that it felt suffocating, except a plain brown door of a classroom. She stood up, walking towards the door with confident steps. She was inside the program. Everything had gone smoothly.

"Huuuuh? There's someone else! How does someone expect Ibuki to remember all these people!?"

"It appears I was incorrect. Unusual that the number of students exceeds the amount of desks."

"You look a little old to be a high school student, are you even our age?"

Naegi looked over the people who'd immediately spoken with a small smile. Mioda, the Imposter, Koizumi. Their avatars looked perfect, the exact image of their high school selves. She couldn't keep his eyes on the Imposter for too long without feeling as if he was going to laugh just thinking about what Togami had to say about them, and instead let her eyes drift over to Komaeda. He was standing to the side, looking over with a slightly curious expression.

"Hi," she said, almost meekly.

"It's a pleasure to meet you," Sonia said, holding out her hand. Naegi shook it quickly. "I assume your memories of how we reached this classroom are rather blank?"

"Uhm, yes," Naegi answered.

"It appears the curse that has befallen us has not failed to reach the spiky haired one," Tanaka muttered.

Naegi glanced over as Hinata reached up to touch his own hair, and her smile grew slightly. Without waiting to introduce herself to the others she walked hesitantly towards Komaeda.

"Approaching someone as bland as me first?" Komaeda commented. Naegi frowned.

"I don't think you're bland," she said. "You look nice."

"Ah, I appreciate the sentiment," he said.

"I'm Makoto Naegi," she said, almost stubbornly. "Ultimate Lucky Student."

Just for a second, Komeada's eyes widened. "Hm? I wonder if our meeting was good or bad luck in itself. Nagito Komaeda. I also appear to be the Ultimate Lucky Student."


End file.
